Sorting machine

ABSTRACT

243,364. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Bryce, J. W.). Nov. 20, 1924, [Convention date]. Compiling statistics.-In a sorting machine for Hollerith cards read in motion there is a sorting brush at each station or deflector, the stations being one card cycle apart. The cards are fed with the &#34; 9s &#34; first under each brush; the main brush circuits are momentarily made live by the usual cam contacts 119 when the cards are simultaneously in their correct reading positions and in these positions at the first station the brush rests upon the &#34; 9 &#34; perforation index point, at&#39; the second station upon the &#34; 8 &#34; point, at the third station at the &#34; 7 &#34; point and so on. Thus a card will only permit contact through its perforation while the main brush circuit is live when the card is at the correct sorting station. This energizes a magnet 107 which attracts its armature 111 and raises the deflector 108. At the same time the armature closes contacts 113 to complete a holding circuit 121 which is broken at&#39; the correct moment by cam 120. The brushes are individually adjusted transversely of the machine to any card column. The construction of the sorting boxes, card-feed conveyer rollers and card-feed picker-blade mechanism are as described in Specification 242,654.

Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,180

J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed March '7. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet l amvewto't Nov. 29, 1927.

J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed March "7. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,651,180 J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed March '7. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 29, 1927.

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- J. w. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Fil d March '7. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I awwentoz Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JAMES W. BRYCE, BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAB'ULATING MACHINE COMIANY, 0F ENDIGOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOBTING MACHINE.

Application filed March 7, 1925. Serial No. 13,722.

This invention relates to machines adapted for sorting perforated record cards used in tabulating systems, such, for instance, as the Hollerith.

My. present invention is an improvement on the machine described in detail in my co-pending application, Serial No. 751,060.

which discloses a sorter of the horizontal type designed to sort cards electrically and deposit each predetermined class in its proper station.

It is frequently desirable to select from a promiscuous stack of cards those belonging to a certain group, and. then to sort. the

cards of that group into various subgroup classifications. Heretofore, inorder to accomplish this result it has been necessary to first run the entire stack of cards through a sorter to first segregate the group desired,

and then run the cards of that group through the sorter again in order to make the final classification.

My present invention enables the above result to be obtained in a single run of the cards, by removing at the first sorting station all cards not belonging to the desired group, and letting the cards of the group pass on to be classified by the regular single column sorting stations in the usual manner. The perforations designating group numbers are usually in'a plurality of columns on the card, so I provide at the first station a device capable of analyzing plural-column combinations of holes. This device senses the perforationsin the group control. section of the card. If the perforations do not in dicate that the card belongs to the desired group it is directed into the first station by the deflector at that station, which is normally in deflecting-position. If, however, the

" perforations show that the card does belong to the predetermined group, the deflector is thereupon shifted to non-deflecting position and the card passes on to be sorted or classified by the single-column sorters in the usual tions,which, by way of illustration show what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. l is a front elevation, partly broken away, of my complete machine.

' Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of the feed mechanism and the control devices at the first station.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation of some single-column sorting stations, conveyor system, etc.

. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the sensing devices at the. first and second stations.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side sectional elevation of the electric sensing device at the first station, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. i

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the sensing device at the first station, on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a typical Hollerith card.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing how the conveyor rolls are driven. I

Figs. 9 and 9 taken together show the electric circuits. 1

Referring. to Fig. 1, the frame 30 is mounted on legs ,31. Underneath the main frame, and carried by the legs, is a shelf or subframe 32 supporting the motor 33, which drives the machine from pulley 34 by belt 35 to pulley 36 fast toshaft 37,which runs the full length of the machine, in the rear,

pulley 36 being on one end of it and hand carry them along horizontally above the receiving stations until each card is deflected downwardly into one of the receiving stations, which are fully described in the co pending application'above referred to.

The feed mechanism consists of the rotary picker drum 61, driven from shaft 3?. Drum 61 carries in its rim a numberot picker blades 69 extending lengthwise of the drum and projecting therefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of a card. As the drum revolves, each blade in turn picks a card from the bottom of the stack and feeds itthrough the micrometer openings 72 provided between the bottom of fixed plate 73 and rollers 74, into the control of the conveyor rolls.

The upper conveyor rolls are designated '82, there being two of them fast on each shaft 83, while directly under each of these rolls is a lower roll 84 fast on shaft 85. The rolls are driven by worms 86 on shaft 37,

through worm gears 87 fast on shafts 83 and will be maintained throughout their travel,-

which is an essential feature in the operation of my invention.

Atypical Hollerith record card is shown in Fig. 7. The card is divided by vertical lines into various sections in each of which information or data is punched according to the requirements of the particular in- Shafts 101 and 102 turn in opposite dichine and will always remain in fixed re lationship to each other.

Imbedded in the upper surface ofplate 110 are a plurality of parallel metallic con tact strips 112 extending lengthwise of the machine and so spaced as to correspond to the columns on the card. Plate 106 has formed in it a plurality of parallel slots 113 formed by bars 114. Eachslot 113 is directly above a contact strip 112, and fitted in each slot is an insulated brush holder.115

carrying a contact brush 116 which is normally in contact with its corresponding strip 112, or with; the top surface of a card if a card be pasing through. Each brush holder may be moved longitudinally in its slot and held at any one of a plurality of positions by its spring clip 117, fitted into a notch118 on bar 114. Each notch 118 corresponds to a digit position on the record card, as industry or business in which the card is used fi dicated by the numbers in Fig. 4. Each We are interested es ecially in that section of the card ,marked"(roup, in which section are punched holes designating numbers of various groups into which it may be desirable to classify the cards. It will be noted that the group number in the card shown in Fig. 7 is 785021.

In the embodiment of my invention herein described, the card, on being'fed from the stack, passes first to the plural-digit analyzing device, where it is either deposited in the first station, or, if it belongs to the predetermined group, is assed on for further analysis at the succee mg single column sta- J tions, which are designated 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3,

2, 1, O, and R, in the order named.

Crosswise of the machine between the card feeding device and the first receiving station are a pair of horizontalthreaded shafts 101 and 102, one directly above the other, and both parallel to conveyor shafts 83 and 85. These shafts are supported in bearings in the frame of the machine and are geared together by the gears 103 and 104 so that when the hand crank 105 is turned both shafts will rotate. Mounted on the upper shaft 101 is a horizontal brush frame 106' carried by threaded bosses 107 on shaft 101.

' Brush plate 106 is held in stable horizontal position by the two extensions 108, one at each end, which bear against the under sides of the nearest shafts 83.

Directly underneath brush frame 106 and carried on shaft 102 by threaded bosses 109, is the insulated contact frame 110, which is held in stable horizontal position by angle pieces 111 resting on top of adjacent-conveyor shafts 85.

brush 116 has a plug socket 119 which may be connected electrically to any other plug socket 119 by wires 120 carrying plug taps,

121 at each end." In Fig.- 4 it will be noted that the brushes are so positioned as to read 785021, which is the same rou control number as is shown in the car in ig. 7

Crosswise of the frame of the machine and fastened thereto at their ends are a plurality of rods 125. These rods are parallel to shafts 83 and in approximately the same plane. Each rod carriesa. brush holder 126 of non-conducting material, settable length wise on rod and secured thereto by set Each brush screws 127 or other means. holder 125 carries a contact brush 128 .which between the conveyor rolls.

before it reaches each receiving station/ If no card be present the lower end of the brush rests on-a metallic contact strip 129,

supported by non-conducting brackets 130" rigidly secured to the frame of the machine.

Cards are fed into my sorter "bottom first, the index positions onthe card pass through the. rolls and under the brushes in the order 9, 8, 7, 6,5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Brushes 128 and contact stri s .129 are so located the second brush will rest on 'No. 8, the,

third on No. 7, and so on. This is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3'and is also shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9 and 9.

magnet energized and the deflector down un-v til the card has passed. Arm 138 and its armature 139 are normally held away from magnet 135 by spring 143 acting on vertical arm 144 which is rigidly connected to arm 138.

Adjacent each of the single-brush sort ing stations is a magnet 145, which when energized, raises its deflector 146, hinged on rod 147 and fast to arm 148 which carries armature 149. When arm 148 is actuated its pin 150 moves spring blade 151 to make contact in the stick circuit at 152. Spring 153 holds armature 149 normally away from magnet 145.

It will be noticed that: in its normal position the upper end of deflector 136 at the plural-column station is above the plane of passing cards, so that while its magnet 135 is de-energized all-cards will go into the pocket under that deflector. When magnet 135 is energized the deflector will be lowered and while in that position all cards will pass by that station.

On the other hand, at all single-column stations the normal position of the deflector 146 is below the plane of passing cards and it is only while a magnet 145 is energized that its deflector 146 will intercept cards and direct them into its corresponding pocket. In Fig. 2 the plural-column deflector 136 is shown in normal (raised) position, while in Fig. 3 the center deflector 146 is in its normal (de ressed) position.

On the same sha t with picker drum 61 is a gear 160 geared in the ratio 4 to 1 to the smaller gear161, so that gear 161 makes one revolution for each card fed from the stack. Secured to gear 161 is the cam 162 operating against spring blade 163, to make and break contact 164. This illustrates only part of the cam contact mechanism, which is the conventional cam and contact device used in tabulating and sorting machines, driven synchronously withthe card movement to make the brush circuit just before a perforation reaches the brush and break the circuit just before the brush leavesthe perforation in the card, to thereby prevent arcin g at the card. This device is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9*, at the left.

On the same shaft with ear 161 is also located a cam 165, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9 This cam also operates synchronously with the card feed and serves to interrupt the relay stick circuits 166 (Fig. 9) just before the brush leaves the trailing end of the card. Manually cperated switches 167 are provided in each brush circuit for breaking any brush circuit if desired.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 9 current is supplied to the line through switch 170. The motor is started by pressing start key 171, and stopped by pushing either stop key 172, one of which is located at each end of the machine. When 171 is closed, current flows through line 173, stop keys 172, start key 171, line 174 and back to source 170 through line 175. This energizes magnet.

176 and a motor stick circuit is established through line 177. At the same time magnet 178 is energized, and if key 171 be held .depressed until a card is under the card control lever, represented conventionally at 179, contact 180 will be closed and a stick circuit established around the start key 171 through contact 180. Current flows to the sorting magnets through line 181 and back through return line 182. If either stop key 172 be depressed, or if card lever contact 180 be opened by the supply of cards failing, current to the sorting magnets and to the motor will be interrupted and the machine will stop.

The operation of my machine will be readily understood if we consider first the single-column sorting stations and their action, assuming for the moment that the group=control (first) station is letting all cards go by for sorting into the single-column receiving pockets 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, and Reject.

Before beginning to sort a stack of cards the operator adjusts all the single column brushes by setting their holders 126 on rods 125 so that each brush will traverse acard column being analyzed. One card column is anal zed by each brush and that column has a ho e punched in it at some index point, orv the column has no hole at all.

While my sorter is in operation contact is made at 164 once for every card cycle, and that contact is made at the instant the card or cards are in the positions indicated in Figs. 9 and 9 or shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which means that, due to their differential lo ations, the brush controlling the deflector of station No. 9 is resting'on the No. 9 index position on the card'column under it; brush controlling No. 8 deflector is resting on No.

8 index position on its card; No. 1 brush is llU trolled by that particular circuit will be energized, its deflectoruraised, and the card v 105 so that the group control section of the This condition is shown in Fig. 3 wherein the brush to the right has contacted with the plate 129 through a hole in the card- This has operated the deflector above the next station and it isevident that further progress of the. card through which contact was made, Will take it into that compart- -ment, Where it belongs.

The brush controlling No. 9 station searches only for holes in the 9 position on the card hrush-No. 8 searches only for holes.

in the '8"position, and so on. If a brush finds a hole at its particular position'it acts, otherwise it lets the card pass on to be examined .ateach succeeding stationihIf no hole be found at any index position in the column being examined the card will pass to the final station, marked R, or Reject- As the card is moving rapidly, contact by brush 128 is only momentary, but sufficient to operate the magnet and its deiiector. In order to hold the deflector in raised position until the card has, reached the station, I' provide that whenever a magnet 145 is energized it closes contact 152 thereby providinga stick circuit which keeps magnet 145 energized until broken by 'cam. 165 (Fig. 9 J

Considering now the group control or plural column analyzing station through which the cards must pass before reaching thesingle column stations, the operator sets his contact brushes, in brush frame 106, and connects them with wires 120, as already explained, so that if a card punched with;

40 I i willbeenergized and deflector 136 ther ular single column stations.

the predetermined group number is under those brushes when the impulse is sent through the line by contacts 164, magnet 135 lowered so that the card will pass along for orting by IJhaveillustrated' this in the drawings by a concrete example, assuming {'a' group number 785021; Fig.4'showsa p' f 'brfush plate, brush holders, and wires so arrangedas-to' spell that number. Contact strips 112 are also suitably connected by wires 190 through plugs 191 (Figs. 2 and 9).

L This setting is shown diagrammatically in,

nation of under-the rushes when the current impulse Fi 9. I Y I ZIf now brush plate 106 and contact plate 110 are positioned by turning hand crank H ,7) passes under the brushes it'is evident t at enever the articular combierforations indicating 785021 is "116 at the 1 position, to the second brush,

through wire 120, to the secondcontact strip,

from which. it passes by wire 190 .to the having certain predetermined perfogtiens,

third. strip, from which it passes by the brush. at 0 position to the next brush, at 5 position, and so on, finally emerging from the upper strip through wire 193 to magnet 135 which draws down deflector 136, permitting the card to pass on.

It is plain that only the particular combinations of holes indicating the predetermined group number will allow such a circuit to be set up, because any I other combination of holes will find at least one brush resting on a blank portion of the card. Hence, every card of the desired group will pass on, and every card not of that group will be deposited in the first receiving compartment because it will fail to permit energization of magnet 135.

As soon as magnet 135 is energized and arm 138 drawn down a stick circuit is established from 192 through 138, line 166, to line 193, which circuit holds until broken by cam 165 at the end of the card cycle.

In case it is desired to use my machine for straight sorting, without group control,

group will go into the first station, and all cards belonging to the group will pass on unhindered, to the final, or R station.

I claim 1. In a,machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, means at one station for making a preliminary analysis of the perforations in the cards, and means .at each succeeding station for making further analysis of a type, different from the preliminary I analysis of said perforations.

'2. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a plurality of receiving stations, conveying means to carry cards to said stations successively, means at one station for making, a preliminary analysis of plural-column combinations of holes in the cards, and means at succeeding stations for making further analysis of a type difierent from the reliminary analysis, in the same run, of in ex rforations in cards which haw passed said rst station.

3. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, means to convey cards first station to permit passage only of cards index'perforations, in combination, plurality of receiving stations, means to convey cards to said stations successively, means atone station for, analyzing plural-column combinations of holes in the cards by causing electric current to flow through holes in the cards, and means at succeeding stations to further analyze by electric contacts through the card perforations, in the same run, index perforations in cards which have passed said first station.

6. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, means at one station for making a preliminary examination of the perforations in the cards while the cards are in motion, and means at each succeeding station for making further examination of said perforations while the cards are in motion.

7. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, means at one station for making a preliminary analysis of the perforations in the cards by electric contacts through said perforations, and means at each succeedingstation for making further analysis of said perforations; all said analyzing operations being performed while the cards are in motion. 8. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a plurality of receiving stations, means to convey cards to said stations successively, electric contact means at one station to analyze plural-column combinations of holes in the cards while the cards are in motion, and electric contact means at succeeding stations to further analyze, in the same run, while the cards are in motion, index perforations in cards which have passed said first station. 9. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, means to convey cards to said stations successively, means at the first station atopermit passage only of cards having certain predetermined perforations, and means to subsequently analyze. and distribute said cards into thesucceedi'ng sta- 'tions.

electrically controlled means at the first station to permit passage only. of cards having certain predetermined perforations, and electrically controlled means to subsequently analyze and distribute said cards into the succeeding stations.

11. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for feeding perforated record cards bearing group designations, a series of analyzing stations, means at the first station to permit passage only of cards of a predetermined grou and means at the succeeding stations to urther analyze the cards of the group.

12. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for feeding perforated record cards bearing group designations comprising perforations in one or more columns on the cards, a plurality of card analyzing stations, means at the first station to permit passage only of cards of a predetermined group, and means to pass the cards of said group through the other stations for further analysis.

13. In a machine for sorting cards having index perforations, in combination, a series of receiving stations, a device at one station for making a preliminary analysis of the perforations in the cards, and a device at each succeeding station for making further analysis of the perforations, each of said anal zin devices com risin' one or more contact brushes and then corresponding contact pads.-

14. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a series of receiving stations, analyzing means including a control circuit at each station, a magnet in each control circuit, and a deflector at each station controlled by said magnet, each deflector at all stations except the first being normally in non-deflecting position but movable to deflecting position when its magnet is energized, thedefiector at the first station being normally in deflecting position but movable to non-deflecting position when its magnet is energized.

15. In a machine of the character described,in combination, a plurality of receiving stations, analyzing means including a control circuit at each station, a magnet and one or more contact brushes in each control circuit, and a deflector at each station cont-rolled by said magnet, the first deflector being normally in deflecting position, and all other deflectors being normally in nondeflecting position, each deflector being, shiftable upon completion of a series circuit through its magnet and brush or brushes.

record cards having group designating per- 'forations in one or more columns, a series of receiving stations, acontrol device at the first station for analyzing the group desigran ,5 cards of the group, each of said control nature.-

nating perforations and preventing passage being 0 erable when, and only when, a series of all cards not of a predetermined group, circuit 1s completed through its magnet and and a control device at each succeeding staits brush or brushes. tion to further analyze and distribute the In testimony whereof I-hereto afiix my sigdevices including a magnet, one or more conv tact brushes, and a deflector, each deflector JAMES W. BRYCE. 

